Tracing and Writing Letters e and f for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Handwriting
Curriculum Theme: Handwriting
Previous Lesson: Tracing and Writing Letters c and d
Topic: Tracing and Writing Letters e and f
Subject Matter: Tracing and Writing Letters: e, f. Weekly focus: Tracing and Writing Letters e and f.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the sounds of letters ‘e’ and ‘f’.
• Recognise the lowercase forms of letters ‘e’ and ‘f’.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively to the teacher’s instructions.
• Show enthusiasm while learning to trace and write.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the lowercase letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ correctly.
• Form and write the lowercase letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ independently.
• Hold their pencil with the correct grip.

Social Domain

• Participate actively in classroom activities.
• Share materials respectfully when instructed.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education Handwriting Workbook for KG.
• Relevant early years literacy resources.

Instructional Materials

• Handwriting book and pencils.
• Chart showing lowercase letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ with associated pictures (e.g., egg, elephant, fish, fan).
• Flashcards with letters ‘e’ and ‘f’.
• Whiteboard or chalkboard and markers/chalk.
• Sand tray or individual small whiteboards for tracing practice.
• Crayons (optional, for colouring traced letters).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 4 pupils as it develops their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and pre-writing abilities. Learning to trace and write letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ correctly lays a strong foundation for early literacy, enabling children to eventually read and write simple words and communicate effectively.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can hold a pencil, make basic strokes (lines and curves), and recognise some other letters of the alphabet. They have also practised tracing and writing other simple letters.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Tracing and Writing Letters e and f

Today, we are going to learn how to trace and write two special letters: e and f.

Letter ‘e’

• The letter ‘e’ makes the sound /e/ as in ‘egg’ or ‘elephant’.
• To write ‘e’, we start in the middle, go across, then curve up and around.
• It’s a small, round letter.

Letter ‘f’

• The letter ‘f’ makes the sound /f/ as in ‘fish’ or ‘fan’.
• To write ‘f’, we start at the top, curve down, and then draw a line across the middle.
• It’s a tall letter with a little curve at the top.

Key Words

• Trace – to draw over an outline.
• Form – to make or shape something.
• Sound – the noise a letter makes.
• Pencil grip – how you hold your pencil.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display a chart showing the lowercase letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ clearly. Draw large ‘e’ and ‘f’ on the board, showing the starting points and directional arrows.

• For ‘e’: Start in the middle, draw a small horizontal line, then curve up and over to complete the circle.
• For ‘f’: Start at the top, make a curved stroke downwards, then lift the pencil and draw a horizontal line across the middle.

Letter Formation Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Letter ‘e’, letter ‘e’,
Across and round for me.
Like an egg, so small and neat,
‘e’ for elephant, oh so sweet.
Letter ‘f’, letter ‘f’,
Curve down, then a line across.
‘f’ for fish, a friendly face,
‘f’ for fan, in its right place.

Actions:

• For ‘e’: Use index finger to trace ‘e’ in the air.
• For ‘f’: Use index finger to trace ‘f’ in the air.
• For ‘egg’ and ‘fish’: Make an oval shape with hands, then wiggle hands like a fish.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme slowly, guiding pupils to perform the actions and trace the letters in the air as they sing. Repeat several times.

Watch and Practise

The teacher will show a short video demonstrating how to correctly form the letters ‘e’ and ‘f’. Pupils should watch carefully and try to air-trace along with the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kF6m_m6G20

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration, Guided Practice, Repetition, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads a quick recap of previously learned letters or pre-writing strokes. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Today, we will learn to trace and write two new letters: ‘e’ and ‘f’!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, participate in the recap, and listen attentively to the new topic.

Learning Point: Pupils are prepared and motivated for the new lesson.

Step 2: Presentation of Letter ‘e’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart for letter ‘e’. The teacher says the sound /e/ and gives examples like ‘egg’, ‘elephant’. The teacher demonstrates the correct formation of lowercase ‘e’ on the board, explaining the starting point and stroke direction (across, then curve up and around). Pupils are encouraged to air-trace along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart, listen to the sound and examples, and air-trace the letter ‘e’ as demonstrated by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter ‘e’, its sound, and understand its formation.

Step 3: Guided Practice for Letter ‘e’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Feedback

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to trace letter ‘e’ in a sand tray or on individual whiteboards. The teacher walks around, observes pencil grip, and provides immediate feedback and assistance. The teacher then leads the class in singing the ‘e’ part of the rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the letter ‘e’ in sand or on whiteboards, focusing on correct formation. They sing along with the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence and correct their formation of letter ‘e’.

Step 4: Presentation of Letter ‘f’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart for letter ‘f’. The teacher says the sound /f/ and gives examples like ‘fish’, ‘fan’. The teacher demonstrates the correct formation of lowercase ‘f’ on the board, explaining the starting point and stroke direction (curve down, then line across). Pupils are encouraged to air-trace along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart, listen to the sound and examples, and air-trace the letter ‘f’ as demonstrated by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter ‘f’, its sound, and understand its formation.

Step 5: Guided Practice for Letter ‘f’

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Feedback

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to trace letter ‘f’ in a sand tray or on individual whiteboards. The teacher walks around, observes pencil grip, and provides immediate feedback and assistance. The teacher then leads the class in singing the ‘f’ part of the rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the letter ‘f’ in sand or on whiteboards, focusing on correct formation. They sing along with the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence and correct their formation of letter ‘f’.

Step 6: Guided Writing in Books

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Supervision

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher instructs pupils to open their handwriting books to the page for ‘e’ and ‘f’. The teacher reminds them of correct pencil grip and sitting posture. Pupils are guided to trace the dotted letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ and then attempt to write them independently in their books.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace and write letters ‘e’ and ‘f’ in their handwriting books.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their tracing skills to writing in their books.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. “What sound does this letter make?” (Teacher points to ‘e’ on the chart).
2. “Show me how you write the letter ‘e’ in the air.”
3. “What sound does this letter make?” (Teacher points to ‘f’ on the chart).
4. “Show me how you write the letter ‘f’ in the air.”
5. The teacher collects pupils’ handwriting books for individual assessment of tracing and writing ‘e’ and ‘f’.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Praise

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their hard work and effort in learning to trace and write letters ‘e’ and ‘f’. The teacher encourages them to continue practicing at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and respond to the teacher’s praise.

Learning Point: Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and are motivated to continue learning.

Lesson Keywords

• e – The fifth letter of the alphabet, making the /e/ sound.
• f – The sixth letter of the alphabet, making the /f/ sound.
• Trace – To follow the lines of a drawing or letter.
• Write – To form letters or words on a surface.
• Sound – The specific noise a letter makes.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling with pencil grip or formation, the teacher can provide hand-over-hand guidance. Use larger printed letters for tracing, or provide sand trays for tactile tracing before moving to paper. Offer more verbal cues and repetition of the rhyme.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly master tracing and writing ‘e’ and ‘f’, the teacher can challenge them to identify words that start with ‘e’ and ‘f’ from picture cards, or to write simple words like “egg” or “fan” if they are ready. They can also practise writing the letters without dotted lines.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have all instructional materials ready, especially the letter charts, flashcards, and enough handwriting books and pencils for every pupil. Prepare sand trays or individual whiteboards if you plan to use them for tactile practice. Emphasize correct pencil grip and sitting posture from the beginning, as good habits are easier to form early. When demonstrating, use clear, simple language and show the strokes slowly and repeatedly. Observe pupils closely during guided practice to catch and correct misconceptions early. Encourage all pupils to participate, especially during air-tracing and singing the rhyme. Observable actions like correct air-tracing, accurate tracing in books, and identifying the sounds of ‘e’ and ‘f’ will show understanding. Remember to praise effort as much as accuracy to build confidence.